Sunday, November 22, 2009

recipe | overnight baked french toast

baked splendor... A few years ago I started the tradition of baked french toast for Thanksgiving breakfast. This incredibly delicious and indulgent delight is the perfect breakfast solution for the busy Thanksgiving Day chef. Simply prep this dish the night before and come the morning, all you have to do is place in the oven to bake. It really is so easy and there is no clean-up other than the baking dish. The other great part is that this breakfast really holds you until the turkey graces the table.

This recipe comes from the 1890 Williams House Bed & Breakfast located in the Hot Springs National Park in Arizona.

Overnight French Toast

(yields 4-8 servings)

1 loaf French bread

4 eggs

2 c milk

1t cinnamon

4 T vanilla extract

1/2 c sugar

3T butter

topping:

1/4 c brown sugar

1/4 c butter, softened

1/4 c oatmeal

1/2 t cinnamon

1/4 c chopped pecans

Prepare large 10 x 15-inch baking dish lightly with coating spray. Cut bread into 1 1/2" slices. Place slices in pan. Combine eggs, milk, cinnamon, vanilla, and sugar. Pour egg mixture over bread slices. Flip over each slice after eggs are partially absorbed. When all the mixture is absorbed, top each slice with a thin slice of butter. Wrap pan tightly with plastic wrap and freeze 8-10 hours.

11 comments:

That's a great idea to use it for a sleepover. It tastes like a freshly baked cinnamon roll. So good. I was still half asleep this morning when I put it in the oven, and by the time the coffee was brewed it was done.

Hi Shan. I usually use a French baquette (I've also used whole wheat baquettes to a wonderful result). Because this soaks up a very large amount of "batter", using a bread with a hearty crust is a must so it will hold its shape.